Suction tip for surgical instruments

ABSTRACT

An improved suction tip for a surgical instrument is disclosed. The suction tip covers a wider range of evacuation area without creating any trauma to surrounding tissues. The proximal end of suctioning tip has a plurality of suction ports located at its front, top, right side and left side of the widen tip portion. Furthermore a ledge member is extending out from its frontal widen tip portion for propose of abutting the tissue and providing a clear spacing between the suction ports and the tissue for means of evacuation and collections of fluid in specified area.

Applicants claim priority-filling date for this application. Provisional application filed on Nov. 10, 2009, and the application number is 61/280,873.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a surgical instrument with suctioning tip. More particularly the suctioning tip encompasses a wide range of evacuation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The importance of surgical retractors is well known in surgical procedures. A surgeon needs an exposure as best as possible while inflicting a minimum of trauma to the surrounding tissue. In some operations, such as oral surgery, a surgeon uses the tongue retractor to protect patient's tongue from medical procedure. An assistant surgeon or nurse performs continuous suctioning of fluid by placing a suction tube into the patient's mouth and do the necessary evacuation to protect patient from inhaling or swallowing fluids and scattered debris. Every time the assistant do the evacuation process, the surgeon needs to halt the procedure and stop for few moments in order the evacuation process takes place. To overcome this type of problem, there are few surgical retractors that has been designed with suction tube mounted on the top of the tool. This way the surgeon can do the evacuation process at the same time doing the surgical procedure. Although the prior art devices eliminates some issues associated with this type of problem, but there are some limitations that cannot be delivered with respect to tube suctioning of narrow range area.

However, this invention overcomes the shortcomings and solving the problems associated with prior art. This invention has improved the suctioning tip for a wider range of evacuation that can be mounted on a conventional surgical retractor tip or it can be an integral part of a surgical retractor as a unitary piece.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved suctioning tip for a surgical instrument to cover a wider range of evacuation without creating any trauma to surrounding tissues. The suction tip apparatus comprises a hollow housing which has a proximal end and a distal end. At its proximal end, the widen tip portion has a plurality of suction ports located at its front, on top, on its right side and also on left side. These suction ports along with widen tip portion allows for suctioning of a wider range of an area. Furthermore a ledge member is extending out from its frontal widen tip portion for propose of abutting the tissue and providing a clear space between the suction ports and the tissue for means of evacuation and collections of fluid in specified area. An exit port near the distal end also provided for means of discharging.

In preferred embodiment of present invention, the improved suction tip is an integral part of a surgical retractor. This unitary part can be designed in any desired shaped with respect to the shape of suctioning tip widen area.

It is also an object of this invention to mount or adapt a suctioning tip apparatus to any conventional surgical instrument that requires the wider range evacuation features.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from consideration of the drawings and descriptions that follow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments to the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. It is to be understood that in some instances various aspects of the invention may be shown exaggerated or enlarged to facilitate an understanding of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a surgical retractor with suction tip showing the present invention of preferred embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of a surgical retractor as shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a section view taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the suction tip showing in FIG. 1

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the suction tip as shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a section view taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a rear perspective view of second embodiment of present invention.

FIG. 8 is a section view taken along line 8-8 in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a cross section view taken along line 9-9 in FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a top perspective view of third embodiment of present invention shown as assembled to a conventional surgical retractor.

FIG. 11 is an exploded view of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the an alternative embodiment of the suction tip.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiment are provided herein. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed system, structure or manner.

FIG. 1 is illustrating a preferred embodiment of a surgical retractor 10 with an improved suctioning tip. The retractor 10 is a right angle surgical tool that can be used in numerous surgical procedures such as oral surgery, vaginal surgery, abdominal surgery and etc. The surgical retractor 10 is made of a unitary part either in stainless steel material or in polymeric material such as polyetherimide or polyimide. One of advantages of polymeric material is that they are non-conductive compare to stainless steel material and therefore it is safer to use in some surgeries that thermal heat is involved and also they are disposable.

The surgical retractor 10 comprising a hollow housing that has a proximal end 20 and a distal end 22. At the proximal end 20, the widen tip portion 12 has a plurality of suction ports 14 located at its front 12 a, on top 12 b, on its right side 12 c and on left side 12 d. These suction ports 14 along with widen tip portion allows for evacuation of a wider range of an area. Furthermore a ledge member 16 is extending out from its frontal side 12 a of the widen tip portion for propose of abutting the tissue and providing a clear path between the suction ports 12 and the tissue for means of evacuation and collections of fluid in specified area “d”. At the neck portion 18 of the suctioning tip 12, a narrow channel is formed with respect to its hollow housing for passages of any evacuation via its suction ports located at the widen tip portion 12. In this embodiment the tool body has a handle 24 near its distal end 22 portion. The distal end 22 also includes a vacuum hose connection port 26 for means of connecting a vacuum source to the surgical retractor 10. The connection port 26 include various sizes of connection to adapt different sizes of vacuum hose.

In general, the underside 30 of the surgical retractor 10 is flatten as shown in FIG. 2. In order to secure retractor 10 over body part in surgical procedure, serrated features 32 and recessed areas 36 has been added to the bottom of the retractor. These features eliminates any tool slippery over the body part. Also there may have suction ports added to the bottom to grab the body part if needed per specific tool operation.

In FIG. 3, a cross section of the unitary surgical retractor 10 is shown. When the vacuum flow enters into the tip chamber 12 e via its suction ports 14, it is directed toward the narrow portion which is the neck area 18 and then via its lumen 40 directed to exit port 28 at the distal end 22.

Referring to FIG. 4-5, the enlarged view of the suction tip of the surgical tool are illustrated. The widen tip portion of the suction tip 12 has a wide range for collecting fluid or scattered particles as it is shown in operational angle α. Once the suction tip is abutting the tissue “T”, the tip's ledge 16 provide a clear distance “d” between the tip and the tissue “T”. Therefore provides a clearance path for collecting fluid without direct contact of the suction ports to tissue. The advantages of this feature is to eliminate grabbing the tissue by its frontal suction ports. Another advantages of having the multiple suction ports at the tip portion is to have continuous vacuum discharge regardless of some ports may be blocked. Once the vacuum is applied, the flow travels via the lumen 40 to the exit port at the distal end 22 as best shown in cross section view FIG. 6.

FIG. 7-9 are illustrating a second embodiment of the improved suction tip 100 that can be adaptable and provide a wider range suctioning tip to an existing surgical tube 200. The tube's tip 220 snugly fit at the distal end 122 of the suction tip 100. Once the tip 220 is secured into the distal end lumen 140, the tube's body 224 can be placed into the “U” shaped of suction tip. The purpose of the “U” shape is to eliminate any tube 200 rotation and securely keeps the suction tube in place with respect to the suction tip 100.

A third embodiment of present invention is shown in FIG. 10-11. In this embodiment the suction tip 300 is shown as a separated piece that is mountable to an existing surgical retractor 400 by placing it over the retractor tip 420. The suctioning tip apparatus 300 can be secured by means of attaching to the surgical retractor such as a clip 330, which is located at the bottom portion of the distal end 322 of the suctioning tip 300. Other means of attachment can be adhesive or any fasteners between these two parts. Once the suction tip apparatus is placed over the surgical retractor, it can be connected to a vacuum tube 360 which provide suction source to tip portion.

A modified version of the suction tip apparatus 500 is shown in FIG. 12. In this embodiment a mirror 520 has been added to the top surface 512 b of the suction tip portion. And, at its distal end, a connection port which includes various sizes of connection to adapt different sizes of vacuum hose has been added. Furthermore, the frontal ledge is eliminated in this embodiment.

While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, this specification and the accompanying drawings disclose only some specific forms as examples of the invention. The invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments so described; however, the scope of the invention is pointed out in the appended claims. 

1. An improved suction tip in conjunction of a surgical instrument comprising: a hollow housing, said hollow housing has a proximal end and a distal end, said proximal end has a widen tip portion compare to said distal end, a plurality of suction ports, said suction ports are located at said proximal end of the said widen tip portion, a ledge member, said ledge member is extending out of the said widen tip portion, said ledge member provide spacing distance between said suction ports and tissue, and; an exist port, said exist port is located at said distal end for means of discharging flow.
 2. An improved suction tip according to claim 1, wherein said widen tip portion, said widen tip is flatten in shape in profile with respect to said hollow housing.
 3. An improved suction tip according to claim 1, wherein said suction ports, said suction ports are located on said widen tip portion of top, front, left side and right side.
 4. An improved suction tip according to claim 1, wherein said ledge member furthermore extend its ledge on said widen tip left and right sides.
 5. An improved suction tip according to claim 1, wherein said widen tip portion, said widen tip's underside includes serrations and recessed areas.
 6. An improved suction tip for a surgical retractor comprising: a hollow housing, said hollow housing has a proximal end and a distal end, said proximal end has a widen tip portion compare to said distal end, a plurality of suction ports, said suction ports are located at said proximal end of the said widen tip portion, a ledge member, said ledge member is extending out of the said widen tip portion, said ledge member provide spacing distance between said suction ports and tissue, a handle, said handle is part of the said hollow housing for means of holding, and; an exist port, said exist port is located at said distal end for means of discharging flow.
 7. An improved suction tip for a surgical retractor according to claim 6, wherein said a hollow housing is a unitary piece
 8. An improved suction tip apparatus in conjunction of a surgical instrument comprising: a hollow housing, said hollow housing has a proximal end and a distal end, said proximal end has a widen tip portion compare to said distal end, a plurality of suction ports, said suction ports are located at said proximal end of the said widen tip portion, a ledge member, said ledge member is extending out of the said widen tip portion, said ledge member provide spacing distance between said suction ports and tissue, an exist port, said exist port is located at said distal end for means of discharging flow, and; fastening means to mount suctioning tip to an existing surgical instrument. 